Got my new HV20 - Windows not seeing it tho
 

Hi folks,

HV20 arrived today so installed the CD as noted in the manual but when I hook up the unit to the PC it finds an AV/C Subunit and asks for the driver but even pointing it towards my CDROM drive it doesnt find the right driver files :(

Also another quick questions, what software will play happy with the output from my HV20 - I use Cyberlink Director at the moment but I take it since its an older program it wont like this new HDV stuff?

Thanks for any advice.

Rikki

Windows XP SP2 should recognize the camera by itself, NO drivers needed.
Older software will not see/control HDV cameras though.
For free captures, look to the most recent (.77?) HDVsplit, it will actually split/name per each shot using the time-of-day stamp info.
Check other posts for HDV compatible software, like Vegas7.0, Ulead VideoStudio10+ or 11+ & MSpro8, Adobe Premiere 1.5+/2.0, Pinnacle 10+, etc (think I got various version#s right, double check their websites.)

The install CDs are only for the USB connection for still camera (miniSD card) transfer (which is a lot faster to simply use a card reader.)

HDV mode over firewire shows up as an AV/C unit under game/audio controllers, DV Locked mode (eg downres to DV) will show up under imaging devices, like other dv cams. You need to change DV/HDV connect modes while UNplugged from the PC.

Thanks Colin for the reply. I kinda remembered reading something about forcing to DV and that worked great. This machine barfed when I tried to put XP2 on it a couple of years ago so its running as SP1 at the moment. In all honesty though I didnt buy the camera for HD, I bought it to use for web work but I wanted good low noise and with 24/25p it means good quality images that convert to XVID well.

Maybe one day I'll play around with all the HDness of it :D

Thanks again,

Rikki

I think you need SP2 to get HDV drivers in Windows. As Colin noted, there are no video drivers on the HV20 CD - only still camera stuff.

Colin -
"You need to change DV/HDV connect modes while UNplugged from the PC"
You're talking about in the camera, right? I just went through a few days of heartburn when Windows would only see my HV20 as a DV cam Imaging Device and not an HDV AV/C Tape Device even when the camera was set to HDV output. Had to go into the Device Manager several times and uninstall the DV camera in Imaging Devices. Finally I rebooted with the camera in HDV output mode and connected (via firewire of course) and now Windows seems to properly recognize it as a AV/C tape device. What a pain!

Yes, I meant in the camera. I recall your post a while ago, glad you fixed it... I've had no problems switching my HV10 betw HDV & DV modes connecting to my PC, except as noted you can't select the camera menu item to switch unless firewire is unplugged (menu choice is greyed out.)
I've had a previous DV camcorder connected before if that makes a difference, but I've switched the HV10 back & forth since then, mostly HDV but DV also..